1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fiber optic connections and more particularly concerns mounting of a fiber optic alignment sleeve for quick disconnection and assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Various type of connections are provided for coupling one optical fiber to another to position flush fiber ends of two fibers against one another for optimum transmission of light across the junction of the two. To interconnect the very small diameter fibers, the fiber ends are generally fixedly mounted in termination structures, generally termed a "terminus", of which a pin terminus and a socket terminus form a mating pair, with the one being received within the other. Effectively the pin and socket interconnection provides for alignment of the two optical fibers by the insertion and guiding of the pin terminus into the receiving end of the socket terminus. The socket terminus frequently carries on its forward end an alignment sleeve that is mounted with an end extending forwardly of the end of the optical fiber end to form a socket for reception of an end of the pin terminus. The end of the fiber of the socket terminus is set back, at some distance from the forward end of the alignment sleeve, and is difficult to clean through the very small diameter sleeve.
When the pin and socket termini are mutually disconnected, small particles of dirt may enter the socket of the alignment sleeve. Even very small particles in the socket can significantly hamper or totally prevent light transmission. To accommodate cleaning of the fiber end, which is set back from the forward end of the sleeve, the alignment sleeves of a socket terminus are generally detachably mounted on the terminus body. Frequently they are made removable only by a specially formed tool. The nature of the construction and the very small size of the termini, which have an outside diameter in the order of 0.040 inches for example, make this removal a difficult and sometimes error prone operation. Where the alignment sleeve is resiliently retained on the terminus body, pulling on the alignment sleeve results in a sudden release of retention force that may cause a sleeve to fly off the terminus to end and come to rest in unknown or difficult to find location at some distance from the terminus.
Attempts have been made to improve and redesign alignment, installation and detachment tools, and to redesign and reconfigure alignment sleeve retaining mechanisms, but the problem with removal and installation of the sleeve remains.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide an optical fiber terminus in which above-mentioned problems are avoided or greatly minimized.